Man sentenced in undercover drug sting

WEST CHESTER – An East Fallowfield man pleaded guilty Thursday in Common Pleas Court to selling cocaine to a confidential police informant on two occasions earlier this year.

Travis Townsend, 40, was sentenced to eight to 10 years in state prison on charges of delivery of a controlled substance and possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, stemming from a state police investigation in which he sold 188 grams of cocaine — slightly less than half a pound — to the informant on two dates in February.

Townsend, who worked as an automobile mechanic for an Exton area car dealership at the time of his arrest, was led from the courtroom in a brown suit and tie as his wife, aunt, and family friends looked on. He made no statement to President Judge James P. MacElree II about his case.

His sentence had been negotiated by the Chester County District Attorney’s Office Drug Task Force and Townsend’s attorneys, Thomas Schindler and Jordan Ludwick of Kennett Square.

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According to Assistant District Attorney Mark Conte, who informed MacElree of the facts involved in the guilty plea, Townsend first sold a plastic bag of cocaine to the informant at 7 a.m. on Feb.7 at a location in West Whiteland. The baggie was found to contain about 71 grams of the drug, for which Townsend received $2,700.

On Feb. 13 at 1:15 p.m., Townsend sold the informant another bag of cocaine weighing 117 grams, again for $2,700.

The following day, Townsend’s home in East Fallowfield was searched by state police. Inside they found various drug paraphernalia, including scales and plastic bags, as well as various amounts of marijuana and hashish. They also found a handgun. In his car, they found more marijuana and a cash. In all, there were more than 1,000 grams of marijuana and almost 90 grams of hash.